Transport Safety in Eastern Indonesia Tops Ministry’s Goals in First 100 Days

The Jakarta Globe, Putri Prameshwari

Passenger safety, especially in the eastern part of Indonesia, remained one of Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi’s priorities for his first 100 days in office, top officials at the ministry said over the weekend.

Sunaryo, director general of maritime transportation, said that safety inspections would be carried out on ships throughout Indonesia.

“The priority areas include Medan, Batam, Pontianak and the eastern part of Indonesia,” he said, adding that the inspections were to ensure safe sea transportation for the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s holiday.

Sunaryo also said several routes would be reorganized to avoid a back up of passengers at certain ports.

“Some ships will be relocated from less crowded ports to busier ones,” he said.

Herry Bhakti Singayuda, the Transportation Ministry’s director general of civil aviation, said that improving air transportation in Papua would be another of the ministry’s priorities over the next three months.

“We are focusing on airports in Papua,” he said.

Herry said the ministry would expand and improve about 90 airports in the province, including transforming small air strips into commercial runways.

“Not all airports in Papua have air traffic controllers,” he said, “and that is what we are going to improve.”

He also said that several airports would be upgraded to create major hubs to link the province with other cities in Indonesia. He said the first of these hubs would be in Jayapura, Merauke, and several other large cities.

As part of the 100-day plan, the ministry’s railway and road departments aim to integrate mass transportation in metro areas.

Suroyo Alimoeso, director general of road transportation said the integration would begin in Jakarta by instituting a one-ticket policy for commuter trains and the busway.

“I think that this is one of the crucial points to be accomplished,” Suroyo said.

He also said transportation networks in bigger cities would be reworked to make them more environmentally friendly.

“Jakarta has done this by using some compressed natural gas-fueled public transportation,” he said, adding that other cities were expected to follow suit.

Tundjung Inderawan, director general of railways, said programs for railway revitalization would continue, including an improvement in rail corridors in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok and Bekasi.

“We will continue to clear the [areas close to the] tracks of houses,” he said.

Danang Parikesit, secretary general of the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI), said the ministry should have set more practical goals for its first 100 days.

“They should prioritize building better regulation as the basis of transportation,” Danang said, adding that the minister should focus on improving transportation services to all the country’s remote areas, not just those in the eastern part of the country.

“This is very important for Freddy, in order to get people to trust him as the new minister,” he said.